Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is quintessential comfort food for so many people. Nothing’s cozier than a warm, savory filling encased in a buttery, flaky pie crust. Maybe you’ve only ever ordered it at a restaurant or baked one you bought in the freezer section at the grocery store, but making one from scratch at home is totally doable. The result will blow all other chicken pot pies you’ve ever had out of the water. 

With this recipe, I’ll walk you through my helpful tips and tricks so that you can make your very own chicken pot pie at home. I promise that it’ll be hearty, comforting, and flavorful. The best part: Chicken pot pie makes amazing leftovers, and they’re even arguably better the next day. 

• The crust is “shatteringly crisp on top and bottom.” (Exact notes from our cross-tester!)
• It freezes beautifully! Trust us, you’re going to want to double the recipe so that you can have one ready to go on a busy night.

• Shredded chicken: This is a great place to use up leftover roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of cooked chicken and that is approximately the meat from one breast, one thigh, and one drumstick. But any combination of white and/or dark meat works here. 
• Chicken broth: The difference between a good and a great pot pie lies with the kind of broth used. Store-bought broth is fine, but using a homemade chicken broth will take your pie to new heights. If you can’t make homemade happen, my favorite alternative is making broth from a chicken base like Better Than Bouillon. 
• Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic create the aromatic base here. Leeks add even more flavor than just onion alone. Mushrooms would be a welcome addition here too. 
• Herbs: This recipe calls for just thyme because it’s a classic pairing with chicken. But rosemary, sage, or even tarragon could work here. 
• Pie crust: You will need 2 crusts for this recipe. Of course store-bought crust would be fine, but a homemade crust is really the move here. Nothing beats the flavor and flakiness of homemade. 

1. Make the pie crust: If you’re making your crust from scratch, you can do so in advance to make things easier. The disks of dough can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated. The wrapped dough can also be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
2. Make the filling: The filling starts with sautéing the aromatic vegetables in butter until soft. The garlic gets added after so it doesn’t burn during that time. A sprinkle of flour will thicken your filling and the liquid comes from chicken broth and a healthy dose of cream. This simmers away until ultra glossy and thick before folding in your cooked chicken and frozen peas. 
3. Cool the filling. It’s very important that the filling cools down before you fill the pie. A hot filling will melt the butter in the pie crust too fast. I like to make my filling the day or morning before and keep it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to bake. This not only ensures that it is cooled, but also feels easier than doing it all at once. 
4. Assemble and bake the chicken pot pie. Bake until the crust is deeply golden-brown and the filling is bubbling. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil for the remaining time. Then, let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving so that the filling can thicken slightly. 

It’s important that the filling be thick enough so when you slice into your pie it doesn’t just run all over. This is achieved with both the ingredients you choose and the cooking method. When flour is added to the buttery vegetables, it creates a roux. Once you add the broth and let it simmer, this will create a thick sauce. 

In addition, allowing the pie to cool after you bake it also contributes to the texture of the filling. You should allow your pie to cool for at least 20 minutes but even up to 1 hour is better (if you can handle not breaking into it right away). 

You can store leftovers right in the pie dish you baked it in. Simply cover with foil or plastic wrap then reheat in a 350°F oven until warm. 

This is also a great recipe to make ahead. I mentioned how you can make the filling and crust ahead, but you can also make the entire pie ahead of time and freeze. Because there is a bit of effort involved in this recipe, it’s worth considering making two and freezing one (it’s what I do all the time). It freezes well either fully baked or unbaked.